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Shefa Salem is a young Libyan artist, whose art is inspired by the history of Libya. We discovered her on Facebook, and her work really impressed us, so we wanted to help her make her talent known by writing an article on her here.
Shefa Salem al-Baraesi was born in 1996, in Benghazi, Libya. She studied architecture and urban planning. Her artistic career started when she was very young: she has been producing herself on the Libyan artistic scene since 2018. Her artistic vision consists in revisiting the Libyan historical and cultural heritage, drawing inspiration from her nation’s history and archaeology, its place in mythology, and the spirit of rock art in the Libyan desert. In her art, the written pages of history books come to life. Her aim: in a nation divided by civil war, to promote the collective Libyan identity and memory.
This young and talented artist had the opportunity to expose her works in Benghazi, Tripoli, and Tunis, most recently at the “Art as identity” exposition. She explains that she chose a realistic style, in order to remain close to the people: she wishes to talk to ordinary Libyans, not artistic or academic elites. Through her art, she hopes to bring her people together, via the rediscovery of their common history as Libyans – which, to her, is necessary to move forward together.
For further information, visit her website, her Facebook page and her Instagram page.
Finally, with the artist’s permission, we will share a few pictures of her works.
